Adoption Information

All of the animals at Cape Ann Animal Aid receive routine veterinary care, age-appropriate vaccinations, are spayed or neutered, and micro-chipped prior to adoption. Let us introduce you to your new best friend!

​*WELCOME TO THE FAMILY! Your adoption includes a voucher for a 'Welcome to the Family' care pack from Petco! Bring the voucher to any Petco or Unleashed by Petco store and get $450 in coupons for nutrition, toys, training, grooming products, cleaning supplies & more! Plus, Cape Ann Animal Aid receives credit for each voucher scanned, potentially leading to grant funding to help animals at Cape Ann Animal Aid. It’s a win-win for all and we thank you for your support! Visit your local store to redeem.

Spirit Cats are extremely shy and not for every household. Occasionally reduced adoption fees may apply.

Adoption Information & Requirements

Due to a high volume of interest, we are unable to answer emails regarding animals available for adoption.We understand that you are eager to welcome a new family member into your home and we are dedicated to finding the right fit for your family. If you have any questions or concerns regarding our adoption process, please visit our shelter or call us at 978-283-6055.​ADOPTION REQUIREMENTS:

For the general public, adoptions are completed on a first come, first serve basis.

We cannot put an animal on hold for anyone over the phone.

We prefer all family members to meet the dog/cat before the adoption is final.

If you have young children, they must visit with the pet before an adoption will be made final. We feel it's important that everyone has the opportunity to interact with the prospective new family member prior to bringing them home.

We will only place new pets in homes where all the resident pets are up-to-date on all routine vaccinations. You must bring proof of vaccinations or we must speak with your vet's office.

Adopting applicants must be 18 years or older.

If you rent, we require verbal landlord approval or written approval via your rental agreement. You must bring this document or supply contact information for your landlord before interacting with any animal.

If you own your home, we require proof of home ownership (tax statement, homeowner’s insurance statement, or mortgage statement) If you live locally we may be able to look this up online.

We accept cash, Master Card, Visa, or American Express to pay the adoption fee. We cannot take checks.

If you arrive near the end of our operating hours, please be aware that adoptions must be started no less than 30 minutes before we close or we cannot complete the adoption that day.

FOR DOGS ADOPTIONS ONLY: All existing household dogs must meet the dog that you are interested in adopting in order to ensure the safety and compatibility of the dogs.

Our volunteers and staff do so much for the animals in our care. We reserve the right to give our staff, volunteers, and foster homes first 'dibs' on any shelter animal. In these cases, an animal may be adopted by a volunteer, foster home, or staff member before it is posted on our available pets listing.

We cannot guarantee the breed, disposition, or adult size of any shelter animal. Our shelter software requires that we choose a predominate breed or breed mix for the animals. Visual breed identification in cats and dogs is unreliable so please note that for most of the animals, identified breed is often a guess. We encourage you to select your new companion by considering each animal's individual personality and pet qualities rather than relying on the breed or breed mix label.

CAPE ANN ANIMAL AID RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REFUSE:

To place cats or kittens in homes where previously owned felines have been known to be declawed.

To place any dog, cat, puppy, or kitten in homes where previously owned animals have been known to be abused, neglected, given away, or abandoned.

Financial responsibility for any veterinary expenses incurred after an animal has been adopted.

SPECIAL ADOPTION CONSIDERATIONS

The very nature of rescue means we often find animals in our care that have extra veterinary, dietary, social, or behavioral needs. When listing our animals for adoption we single these animals out by selecting the “Special Needs” label and making mention of their condition or special needs within their personalized biography. These animals have either required more than the average amount of care prior to being listed for adoption and/or may require more care in the future. While we try to inform potential adopters about our animals’ needs, families interested in adopting a Special Needs animal should be prepared to do research on their own to understand the additional commitment to training, routine, or veterinary care these Special Needs dogs and cats may require.

ADOPTION APPLICATIONS

Please do not mail or email your application. Applications must be submitted in person.